Sizzling

Not looking forward to another Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl? Then how about a look back at last fall's Ivy League football season?

No idea what was behind the Ivy League recently posting a "sizzle reel," but so be it. (And if you are like me and had no idea what a sizzle reel might entail, Mr. Google explained that it's "a short, usually flashy video used to promote a product, service, proposed project, etc.")

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And if you are an Ivy football fan who would rather look ahead than behind, check out the new podcast from Jake Novak, the Roar Lions Columbia blogger HERE.

While the 30-minute "Jake's Takes" program is understandably centered around the Columbia program, Jake does take an early look at next season in his inaugural podcast. Fortunately, Substack's podcast program provides a transcript that allows listeners to easily jump to a particular segment if they choose. In this case, click on the "Transcript" link, scroll down to 24:39, and click again to start the sound up.

Here's some of what Jake had to say about the 2025 championship race, beginning with his belief that Columbia might be in a little better shape than Harvard heading into next season:

"But it's Harvard, and you know that they have massive, massive talent on their bench at all times, and they can always recruit it as well. So I think that they're in great shape. 

"Dartmouth loses their great quarterback. They lose some other players to graduation. They have been reloading in recent years. I certainly expect them to be a contender for the title, but I would have to say of the two teams that Columbia shared the title with, Harvard is stronger. "

Interestingly, it's not Columbia, Harvard or Dartmouth that Novak thinks "could be really, really a great team next year." Click through to hear who he thinks it will be.

Jake also speculates on who media poll will pick to win it all next year. Regarding that vote, he says:

If you ask me right now, be prepared for Columbia to be ...  picked for fifth, and at best fourth next year. There's not going to be any respect for Columbia, even though they did finally get a part of the championship last season. There's going to be very little respect, although they won't be picked last again like they were for the 2024 season. ... (I)f they're picked in the top three in the media poll in August, I'll be shocked. It's not going to happen.

Green Alert Take: Spoiler alert, I've been a voter in the poll for a long time and Columbia will get a very strong look for a top-three finish if I'm voting again next summer. ;-) 

Once again, check out Jake's Take HERE, and if you become a regular listener, he does offer a way to help support the effort.

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EXTRA POINT

With only 365 days to choose from, it's no surprise that whatever day you choose will be the birthday of some very important people. Still, it's pretty impressive that among those who were born on January 27 were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756), Lewis Carroll (1832) and Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948).